Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: gecko on April 10, 2005, 19:55:06
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Another newbie question here!
We are going to try no dig system, and are looking to create raised beds therefore. However, I am a complete skinflint and begrudge paying out for new 6x1 timber boards to edge the beds with.
Anyone got any ideas on cheap (free?) edging materials?
Any help much appreciated!
Thanks
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Hello if you look for raised beds in search you'll find some info
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TRY GETTING THE FARMERS WEEKLY AND LOOK FOR RAILWAY SLEEPERS YOU CAN PICK THEM UP FOR NEXT TO NOWT
:o
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Dig your paths around your beds lower? Result free raised bed. ;D
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Good to know there are other cheapskates out there,
what do you all use for your paths,
I've heard of the few who get free bark chippings but what about all the rest of the skinflints out there? :-\
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I have thin bits of carpet. It stops paths getting muddy and I can lift it every now and then to weed under it.
Rosemary
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I have my own shredder - it's called a petrol lawnmower. I just keep mowing over sticks and thin branches off my roses and trees ;D My husband would not approve :(
You don't have to use any edges with your no dig raised beds - they aren't a necessity. It just helps to contain manure and top dressings that's all. You can buy reclaimed timber very cheaply, scaffolding planks, breeze blocks, bricks (I go out and look for them but I'm very sad indeed ;D), rubber belting, upside down turfs, oil drums, anything at all to keep the soil contained. It just depends whether you want to look at something attractive. ;)
I have today built a posh raised bed from a plastic kit from a local firm. I did this as I wanted to build my own easily. I have made two from timber and I don't think it was too easy or cheap. I made a good job of them though but to give myself a break I built a kit job. Not the plotty ethos but who gives a stuff.
The small box is just a sample - the actual raised bed is sort of four times the size (ish)
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Pallets for timber for edging. Skip scrounge ;D
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Most of our beds are edged with wood but none of it has been bought. Skips are an incredible sources for materials for the lottie, and it is amazing what people throw away. It is an especially good time of year for them too. There are at least half a dozen of them in our surrounding streets at the moment that have an abundance of wood, bricks and pallets in them if we needed them.
Not only for the allotment but a street away from us last year, somebody ripped out their wood panelled hall, the most beautiful wood, and piled it high in a Skip. Ever the eagle eye I knocked on the door and asked if we could take some and we were told to help ourselves. I can't list all the things my husband has done with all of this lovely wood, but he has made really good use of it. Somebody from the same Street also had a water butt in a Skip which they were only too happy for us to take. At the end of last year someone in our street was moving house and I think they must have been going for a fresh start as there was a new fax machine, a lovely camphor wood chest, a juicer and blender and much more in the Skip outside their house. All really good stuff. It is not that we are like Steptoe and Sons but it seems such a waste to us to dispose of things in this way when they could be recycled perfectly easily.
So my advice to you is look for some Skips around your area. Always be sure to ask politely befor you take anything though. :D busy_lizzie
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My water butt was what someone else was throwing out. We live in such a throwaway society today. Tt ;D
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Got to agree love live the skip rats?
Why waste all the lovely wood etc...stops some landfill!
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We are on good terms with a demolition contractor. You might be surprised to know that they have trouble disposing of sleepers and other large timber if it has nails in it. Most large timber goes to a recycler but if it fails the metal detector they are stuck with it, so every now and then we get a free lorry load of wood up to 6mt long of various widths up to sleeper size. Unbelievable! We also got in touch with the council and have them drop loads of wood chips when they prune/chop down trees in our area. One man's gold dust is often a disposal problem for someone else.
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I'd agree on the old pallet board idea, though personaly I have got bought in boards on my raised beds.
Have though just 'recycled' an old pallet for edging boards elsewhere on the kitchen plot.
We've just had some building work done. On a few occasions i fould myself diging in the skip for bricks and wood that the builders had thrown away. Used some of the bricks to make a rustic 'crazy paving' type path in the garden. Other rescued bricks have been used to edge paths.
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I have used pallets for mine and also some off cuts of roofing joists that my dad had. The best pallets are the really long ones that large loads of building materials are delivered on. They are a bit trikier to get hold of because a lot of places reuse them but one pallet can make a complete bed.
I have been reading a long running debate on another site re edging for beds and the pros and cons but I much prefer it as I only have to dig and enrich that one area, the grass does not encroach so much and I can easily strim the paths without damaging the plants. I have three beds built (4ft x 14ft) and am just waiting for enough wood for two more.
I am the only one on our lottie site who uses edged beds and I do get some funny looks. One man asked me why I was making so many seed beds! ::)
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By us here in Uden they have made new speed control
things.............left all the Sand [Builders] have about six bags to date for mixing with the Compost about 150 Kilo to date. :D Loads of Paving Bricks there too, me thinks new path care of the Gemeente[ Council] ???
Plus used a lot for setting the Slabs!!
Now waiting for the Police to knock the door haha :'(
Re-cycled wood from my friends fence made the [ Singing Compost Bin]
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My water butt was what someone else was throwing out. We live in such a throwaway society today. Tt ;D
Yes, I know. I found one at the local dump one day and they let me take it for a quid.
moonbells
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i like going down to the local tip.
they call it the 'recycling and reuse' centre - and they dont mind at all if you take stuff to reuse it somewhere else
i found huge planters/pots there two weeks ago which will stand on my concrete bit which i cant break out.
i need to get more bits of wood though, not just for edging beds (i only edged along the main path, not all around the beds) and also for paths between beds. planks of wood work well. or carpet. i need to go scavanging again soon :D
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Svea ;D ;D ;D
Good Hunting 8)
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Here's one of two raised beds on our allotments. One has sides of corrugated iron and Superbox (roofing sheets). The other one is made from a metre high rubber belting and railways sleepers. They're great to work at as no bending required. They grow stuff really well and rabbits can't nibble our cabbages ;D
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Very Smart....Chique!! 8)
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Wow now that is what you call a raised bed.
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I have to own up and confess to being part of the throw away society as i used to buy everything brand new but since getting my allotment I have to admit to having a bit of an obsession with recycling. I friend delivered some pallets the other day they are 8' long and have made ideal fencing for one side of my allotment. He then dropped some smaller pallets off that i have been able to make into square compost bins and a different kind of pallet (not the ones you would associate with) which have made ideal chicken coops for the kids pet chickens. Ive also been able to cut these smaller pallets up and make them into sides for my raised beds. With the timber he delivered ive made runs for the chickens, the only cost being the chicken wire and a few screws.
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I think pallets must be the most recycled thing after bottles and tins! You can do an awful lot with them. We want to make decking round our shed with some we've got. My OH has them on his roof rack as we speak to take to our plot. Once he's got the decking down he can then get his deckchair on it and listen to footy in peace (with a can or three of lager too)
The raised bed in the pic was made with Superbox roofing stuff which was given to us. It's good stuff too - covered in a plasticy finished. Still looking good and it's been built for about two years now
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Wardy, your right about the pallets, can be used for anything. My neighbouring lottie friend has had her eye on my pallet stack for a few weeks now and is amazed at how much ive done using them. Ive also become a dab hand at splitting them. Did hear the other day that if a certain company see's its pallets used for anything else they were designed for they will fine you as they dont sell the pallets to anyone they rent them out, its the blue ones with CHEP stamped on them. Bit more sturdy than normal pallets and a bit harder to split. Must say when i heard this news i got the fence paint out and tried to disguise my blue pallet made fence before anyone saw it.
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:D :D ROFL here North Country Boy. Am only 5'2" and shrinking so its getting harder to get into skips.
Try a country style market, one in Colchester, at the cattle market on a Saturday. They sell everything, wood, mowers, bricks, house clearance, pots, sinks, trailers, cars, mushroom compost, potting compost (£2.00 a bag for organic this week) Got my fence panels for £6.00 4'6" ones. Ok not top quality but they do the job!! Fresh meat, eggs, chickens, rabbits, budgies, and theres also an antique & modern furniture sale. Phew. See you there folks, I am the one with the loaded car and trailer.
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I've got my eye on a discarded dustbin and some pallets at a building site near me :) I've also spotted tonnes of bricks at a factory that's been demolished and no-one has been near for about a year so I think I'll go and relieve them of a few
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On the subject of one mans rubbish etc... and how to get rid of stuff that you no longer have a use for (or probably more appropriately how to get hold of stuff that noone else wants given lottie holders recycling ability ;D), are you aware of freecycle?
The link below gives all the groups. Basically people advertise things that they no longer have a need for, but it has to be given away NOT sold.
You can also post wanted ads - I'm sure there are plenty of water butts, old wheel barrows etc that could do with new homes.
http://freecycle.org/display.php?region=International
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Great ta - I shall be checking that out deffo . My oh found one of the blue pallets reared up against the bottle bank yesterday and he'd been watching it for a few days so decided to lift it as it had been dumped. You're not supposed to have the blue ones as the company who makes them persues people who nick em (go on then ;) It will be green by tonight ;D
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Wardy :o
Oh you Wicked Woman 8)